Meat paste product and process for preparing same

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A SHAPED, CONSOLIDATED MEAT PRODUCT FROM A MEAT PASTE HAVING A MOISTURE CONTENT OF FROM ABOUT 50 PERCENT TO ABOUT 80 PERCENT AND A FAT CONTENT OF FROM ABOUT 1 PERCENT TO BOUT 40 PERCENT, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES THE STEPS OF:

Claim 3

SUBDIVIDING RAW MEAT TO A FINELY DIVIDED STATE IN THE FORM OF AN EMULSION OF FAT AND WATER STABILIZED AT LEAST PARTLY BY RAW MEAT PROTEIN, THE RAW MEAT HAVING AN AVERAGE PARRICLE SIZE OF LESS THAN 2 MM; II. SUBDIVIDING COOKED MEAT TO PROVIDE SEPARATED MUSCLE FIBRE BUNDLES, EACH FIBRE BUNDLE BEING FROM 2TO 50 MM IN LENGTH ANND FROM 0.5 TO 2 MM IN DIAMETER; III. BLENDING FROM 30 TO 97.5 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF THE FINELY DIVIDED RAW MEAT EMUSLION AND FROM 2.5 TO 70 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF THE SEPARATED MUSCLE FIBRE BUNDLES OF COOKED MEAT TO PPROVIDE A MEAT PASTE; IV. EXTRUDING SAID MEAT PASTE TO FORM A PRODUCT WHEREIN THE PROPORTION OF MUSCLE FIBRE BUNDLES WHICH ARE INSUBSTANTIAL PARALLEL ALIGNMENT WITH EACHOTHER IS FROM 70 TO 100 PERCENT; AND V. CONSOLIDATING SAID PRODUCT BY FREEZING OR BY HEAT.

Claim 4

SUBDIVIDING RAW MEAT TO A FINELY DIVIDED STATE IN THE FORM OF AN EMULSION OF FAT AND WATER STABILIZED AT LEAST PARTLY BY RAW MEAT PROTEIN, THE RAW MEAT HAVING AN AVERAGE PARRICLE SIZE OF LESS THAN 2 MM; II. SUBDIVIDING COOKED MEAT TO PROVIDE SEPARATED MUSCLE FIBRE BUNDLES, EACH FIBRE BUNDLE BEING FROM 2TO 50 MM IN LENGTH ANND FROM 0.5 TO 2 MM IN DIAMETER; III. BLENDING FROM 30 TO 97.5 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF THE FINELY DIVIDED RAW MEAT EMUSLION AND FROM 2.5 TO 70 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF THE SEPARATED MUSCLE FIBRE BUNDLES OF COOKED MEAT TO PPROVIDE A MEAT PASTE; IV. EXTRUDING SAID MEAT PASTE TO FORM A PRODUCT WHEREIN THE PROPORTION OF MUSCLE FIBRE BUNDLES WHICH ARE INSUBSTANTIAL PARALLEL ALIGNMENT WITH EACHOTHER IS FROM 70 TO 100 PERCENT; AND V. CONSOLIDATING SAID PRODUCT BY FREEZING OR BY HEAT.

Claim 5

A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein said paste before extrusion is degassed by mixing said paste at subatmospheric pressure to remove entrapped air or other gas.

Claim 6

A process in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of drying the product to a moisture content of less than 10 percent by weight, basis dried product.

Claim 7

A process in accordance with claim 1 which comprises subdividing cooked meat in a bowl chopper having a gap setting between knife and bowl of 2 to 4 mm, thereby to provide the separated meat fibre bundles.

Claim 8

A process for preparing a shaped, consolidated fish product from a paste having a moisture content of from about 50 percent to about 80 percent and a fat content of from about 1 percent to about 40 percent, which comprises the steps of: i. subdividing raw fish so as to provide a finely divided raw fraction in the form of an emulsion of fat and water stabilized at least partly by raw fish protein, the raw fish having an average particle size of less than 2 mm, and a fibre bundle fraction comprising separated muscle fibre bundles, each fibre bundle being from about 2 to about 50 mm in length and from about 0.5 to about 2 mm in diameter; ii. blending the finely divided fraction and the separated muscle fibre bundle fraction to provide a paste comprising from 30 to 97.5 percent by weight of the finely divided fraction and from 2.5 to 70 percent by weight of the separated muscle fibre bundle fraction; iii. extruding said paste to form a shaped product wherein the proportion of muscle fibre bundles which are in substantial parallel alignment with each other is from 70 to 100 percent; and iv. consolidating said product by freezing or by heat.

Claim 9

A process for preparing a shaped, consolidated fish product from a paste having a moisture content of from about 50 percent to about 80 percent and a fat content of from about 1 percent to about 40 percent, which comprises the steps of: i. subdividing raw fish so as to provide a finely divided raw fraction in the form of an emulsion of fat and water stabilized at least partly by raw fish protein, the raw fish having an average particle size of less than 2 mm, and a fibre bundle fraction comprising separated muscle fibre bundles, each fibre bundle being from about 2 to about 50 mm in length and from about 0.5 to about 2 mm in diameter; ii. blending the finely divided fraction and the separated muscle fibre bundle fraction to provide a paste comprising from 30 to 97.5 percent by weight of the finely divided fraction and from 2.5 to 70 percent by weight of the separated muscle fibre bundle fraction; iii. extruding said paste to form a shaped product wherein the proportion of muscle fibre bundles which are in substantial parallel alignment with each other is from 70 to 100 percent; and iv. consolidating said product by freezing or by heat.

Claim 10

A process in accordance with claim 5 wherein said paste before extrusion is degassed by mixing said paste at sub-atmospheric pressure to remove entrapped air or other gas.

Claim 11

A process in accordance with claim 5, further comprising the step of drying the product to a moisture content of less than 10 percent by weight, basis dried product.

Claim 12

A process in accordance with claim 5 which comprises subdividing raw fish in a bowl chopper having a gap setting between knife and bowl of 2 to 4 mm, theReby to provide the separated fish fibre bundles.

Claim 13

A shaped consolidated meat product prepared by the process of claim 1.

Claim 14

A shaped consolidated fish product prepared by the process of claim 5.